Scottish Catholic Observer

A new award for endeavour at Hamilton’s John Ogilvie High School has been established in tribute to a former pupil who lost his life earlier this year.

The Reamonn Gormley Award for Endeavour was presented at the school’s awards ceremony on September 8, 2011 in recognition of Reamonn’s life and his contribution to John Ogilvie High School.

Nineteen-year-old Reamonn was stabbed to death in February outside a pub in his home town of Blantyre. The incident sent shockwaves through the local community and the country.

Reamonn’s mum and dad, Anne and Jim, and grandparents, Gerry and Annie Gaitens, attended the ceremony at which Shaun Rouse, also from Blantyre, became the first recipient of the award—sponsored by the Knights of St Columba in Blantyre.

Honest hard work

Eddie Morrison, headteacher at John Ogilvie High School, said Reamonn’s parents had expressed a preference that any award in his memory would recognise ‘someone who had made a difference to their school community through honest hard work and endeavour.’

“When I think of Reamonn Gormley what I think about more than anything is honest endeavour and a deep appreciation of the efforts of others and the needs of others,” Mr Morrison said. “Reamonn instinctively knew how to do the right thing. At times that wasn’t seen as particularly cool, but he made it cool because he did it. He didn’t care what others thought as long as he knew that was what should be done.

“These are the qualities we associate with Shaun Rouse. Shaun will be the first to admit that in his early years at the school he was uncertain as to the road his life would take but from S3 onwards he began to emerge as a young man who was desperate to make a difference. He commands respect from all who know him because of his honesty, openness and determination to help make things better.”

Mr Morrison highlighted that, like Reamonn, Shaun was captain of the school’s under-18 football team, a role he tackled with gusto.

“That determination and preparedness to play for others, to serve the needs of the school community, is how Shaun Rouse has conducted himself over the past three years,” Mr Morrison said.

“When we were offered the chance to send two students to a study trip to the concentration camps of Poland last October, Mrs Linn, head of social subjects, immediately said, ‘Shaun Rouse—he will love it, he will give it everything and he will bring it back to the school.’”

Mr Morrison relayed a message from Reamonn’s parents saying that although the evening was a very emotional one, they were honoured it had taken place and happy Reamonn’s memory would live on through the award.